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Usefulness of chest pain character and location as diagnostic indicators of an acute coronary syndrome.

Eslick GD

Department of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. eslickg@med.usyd.edu.au <eslickg@med.usyd.edu.au>

This study assessed chest pain locations/symptoms among patients who presented with acute chest pain and how these compare with a clinical diagnosis of cardiac or noncardiac chest pain. A cluster analysis was undertaken to determine any pattern in the chest pain locations described by patients. Cluster analysis identified 4 distinct chest pain locations (upper chest, central retrosternal, central chest, and left chest and left arm). There was considerable location/symptom overlap between patients who had cardiac chest pain and those who had noncardiac chest pain.

Published 9 May 2005 in Am J Cardiol, 95(10): 1228-31.
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